Counting Seconds in the Flower Garden
by Agent Pumpkin
Summary: When Ash leaves for a gym battle, Cilan and Iris take a little trip to a flower garden. There, they start to understand just where they stand within each others lives...


**Hey guys. It's me, Jesspikapal, and I'm going to attempt a Wishfulshipping fanfiction. I hope I can keep everyone in character, and my inspiration was from last night. I couldn't see the time because my clock had broken and I automatiucally thought of the theme "time", which is what my story revolves around. Hope you enjoy!**

**P.S: The time goes rather quickly in the story, but they still spend three full hours together. ;)**

**~Jess~**

Precious time, everyone would always tell her. Sometimes time was mentioned in pokemon schools when teaching the students about the time and space distortion between Dialga and Palkia, and sometimes the thought about the ever passing asset would invade her mind rudely and certainly uninvited, all on its own.

Over time, Iris had come to realise that time was both an evil and unreasonable thing that existed meerly to annoy her. Nowadays, it seemed to be doing just that! It seemed to play agame in which she didn't understand. A game in which she didn't know the rules. It was like a game of chess; restless and tiresome.

Time always managed to squeeze into the little crevices of Iris' life that tried desperately to hide from it's clutches. All the things that had routine, time would always poke itself in and rush her into the next event of the day, much to Iris' discontent.

But things that could do with speeding up slightly, never seemed to receive the extra boost of energy. Instead they droned on tauntingly, like an insignificant weather report, lasting as long as her sanity would allow it to. After that, Iris just stayed silent for fear of snapping altogether. Do you want a good example of something that could use a good kick in the rear?

"But guys, I came here for a gym battle!" Ash protested childishly, his arms folding across his chest as he pouted conspicuously..

Ash. His pace in between pokemon battling and eating was alarmingly slow. And then he had the nerve, the audacity, to complain about not getting to the next gym quickly?

You see, Ash wasn't what you would call an ordinary trainer. His stratergy and passion was rather admirable no matter how much Iris tryed to convince herself otherwise. Therefore, it was a huge annoyance that his patience and general knowledge, as well as common sense, could be fairly compared to a five year old's.

"Ash, we're here too!" Iris snapped angrily. "Unlike you, me and Cilan may want to see the city!" She continued, subconsiously moving to stand beside the elegantly clad boy, his green hair swaying in the melancholy breeze of the friendly city. The smell of flowers made its way through the houses and shops, the aroma both appealing and uplifting.

"Ah ah ah you two. Let's not fight. Look Ash, I'm going to have to side with Iris on this one -" Cilan spoke politely, a good natured smile carved into his face. "Afterall-" Cilan added, "This place has a full, exotic flavour to it. One that, admittedly, I've never come across before!" The conoisseur brightly exclaimed.

"B-But I-" Ash began, but his sentence was swiftly interupted by the dark skinned female.

"For once think about what other people want!" She screeched, enraged, actually looking like she could hit Ash on the spot and knock him out cold.

Cilan, who was now wearing a worried expression, placed a gentle yet firm hand on Iris' shoulder, silently telling her to leave the issue alone and keep her temper. Not that she could hear him, but she did relax considerably, though her eyes remained as thin slits and her breathing was laboured and angry.

"Listen Ash, you go and challenge the gym leader and then go to the battle club for a while, whilst me and Iris take a walk around the city." Cilan skillfully compromised, the bid not all that difficult to make seen as though Ash couldn't resist a good, full on battle!

Cilan then spotted a huge bouquet of flowers in a large flower trough, banners decorating and advertising attractions in the city all the way around it, two lamposts on either side holding up one huge informative poster about a parade in two weeks time.

"We'll meet back there," He said, pointing to the mini display. "In three hours. That gives you plenty of time for you to have your battle, do some extra training and then do something you and Pikachu want to do."

"Well..." Ash thought hard, but his companion, Pikachu, chirruped in agreement with Cilan's idea, nodding his head and swishing his tail eagerly.

"Pika pika!" He excitedly yipped.

"I - I'm not sure you guys..." Ash continued to doubt, but was suddenly motivated when Pikachu grabbed his hat and ran in the direction of the gym.

"Hey! Pikachu! Gimme my hat back!" Ash shouted loudly after his little rodent friend. "Later guys." He hurriedly said, running after his Pikachu quickly.

Iris giggled briefly, before she regained a serious face and turned to Cilan.

"So, where do you want to go?" She happily questioned, her Axew peeping out of her wild mass of hair and smiling widely at the Conoisseur. Cilan returned the pokemon's smile and pointed to a pathway.

"It looks nice over there. Like some sort of flower garden or park or something." He answered. He then looked Iris in the eye. "Is that ok with you?"

Iris beamed at him. "Of course!"

"Ok then! Shall we?" Cilan asked, extending his arm to her, a genuine grin printed on his face. His Pansage made a sound and Axew jumped out of Iris' hair, starting to walk beside the grass monkey.

Iris blushed ever so slightly (barely notciable), staring at his out-stretched arm for a moment, before smiling gently to herself. She nodded once and hesitantly took his arm with her own, linking them together.

"We shall." She nervously replied, though no one was able to tell how jittery she really felt.

They both turned towards the path, their pokemon following them loyally, the two creatures engaged in seemingly frivilous conversation. The silence that enveloped the human pair was not of an awkquard nature, but a calm, enjoyable quietness. The ability to enjoy the others company without having to say anything at all, and that alone, was special.

They passed through a gate, the scent of fresh air tickling their noses gently. Placid clouds rolled by, allowing themselves to simply be carried. There was no time limit, Iris noiticed and that thought alone made her smile gleefully to herself. But for Cilan and Iris, this was sadly not the case. The three hours ticked by, quickly and selfishly.

The flower beds, littered with pretty flowers and plant life, glowed with natural beauty, making the pair stare at them in wonder.

"Hey Cilan. Wanna sit?" Iris asked, pointing to a patch of grass that was cut off from the rest of the park- like garden.

"Sure." He smiled softly, his eyes closed in a relaxed fashion as he allowed Iris to lead him to the green grass. They both sat, side by side, arm in arm, together in all, their pokemon sitting in front of them quietly, being careful not to destroy the blissful atmosphere of the beautiful exhibit.

"This place is gorgeous..." Iris breathed, frazzled by the utter radiance of the flower place. Small daisies blew in the soft breeze and the grass brushed against Iris' lower leg. Suddenly, her eyes lit up with an idea.

In one swift motion, she kicked off her shoes and lay back in the lucious grass, the individual blades caressing her body invitingly. An audioble sigh emitted from her mouth as she did so.

Cilan stayed sat up, staring at the sky, watching the few clouds amble across the vast sky.

"Cilan? Why are you still sat up? It's nice down here." Iris grinned, patting the earth with the palms of her hands.

"No thank you." Cilan replied half heartedly.

"Oh come on! Don't want to risk getting your pretty boy suit dirty?" Iris teased, her Axew laughing respectivly as she giggled to herself. Despite the insult, Cilan found himself chuckling and Pansage bit back a laugh, turning completley away from his trainer as he struggled to look at him without cracking a smile.

"Hmm... Even Pansage knows it." She continued, sticking her tounge out at Cilan playfully. Pansage covered it's mouth with both of it's paws, his eyes going wide as he tried to control the ever building laughter that bubbled deep inside his throat.

With nothing to say, Cilan remained silent, trying to think of something smart to say back to her, but ultimately failing.

"Iris, I have been educated to keep a straight posture at all times. That's why I'm sitting." Cilan explained, thinking he'd wriggle his way out of her constant teasing.

"But can't you lay down with a straight back aswell?" She smirked knowingly, kicking a leg up in the air as she stretched it and then put it back down again. Her Axew rolled over onto his stomach and closed it's beady eyes slowly.

Cilan turned away from her, defeated and dumbstruck. He mumbled something under his breath, before he felt his back collide with the earth below him.

"Gack!" He exclaimed unchacteristically, his eyes wide with shock. Iris took her arm from his stomach and smiled smugly.

"There. Told you it's comfy."

She petted her dragon type companion tenderly and picked a daisy, proceeding to pull the petals off, one by one. Cilan adjusted himself, feeling self- concious and awkquard, turning his head to watch the peculiar female next to him.

"What are you doing?" He asked, pure confusion spread across his question, like butter on toast.

"Counting down the seconds I suppose..." Iris replied, somewhat sadly. Pansage nuzzled her leg in a comforting manner and in turn, she petted his foliage covered head, picked him up, and handed him back to Cilan, who accepted the little grass monkey into his arms readily.

"What do you mean?" Cilan enquired, turning on his side to face Iris entirely, his head propped up with his elbow.

"Well... It's just that... You know what? Never mind, you'll think it's stupid." Iris muttered, embarrassed at herself. Cilan and Pansage exchanged small, inquisitive glances, before they both looked back up at Iris, more confused than ever.

"No Iris."

"Huh?"

"I won't think it's stupid. Your thoughts are always unique in flavour. They... They matter to me." Cilan confessed truthfully, catching her eye in a meaningful stare. She looked back for a few silent moments, before she sighed and turned to face him properly.

"Everything I do in life, seems rushed y'know? Like... There's a time limit on everything?" She explained, looking ashamed at her "petty" speculation.

"Well, there's still time. There's an hour left. _We _have an hour." Cilan retorted, glancing down at his computerised map which had the time printed on in small digits in the right hand corner.

"Cilan...?" Iris wearily quizzed, idly fiddling with a loose strand of her hair as she spoke. Why did she suddenly feel so off guard? So ... _uncertain. _

A tense second passed by between the two people laying on the grass in the flower garden, within the quaint city. But in that single second, so much happened. Pansage shifted uncomfortably. A flock of Pidove flew overhead, and Axew snored loudly. The flowers and grass halted completely despite the minute breeze still being existent and a lone Sewaddle crawled up a tree, it's leafy cape dragging behind it.

"Yes Iris?" Cilan breathed, feeling his eyes lower for a second to look at her lips. He mentally slapped himself for being so ungentlemanly. So rash and so immature. That wouldn't do at all he decided, the stupid action leaving a foul taste in his mouth and mind alike.

Iris said nothing. Simply played with her hair, trying to dodge the question that she had originally wanted to ask herself. Cilan watched her for a single heartbeat before he sighed and reached out to grasp her hand that was currently occupied tenderly. She looked up at him, eyes wide and a clueless countenace that told him everything he needed to know.

"Yes Iris?" He repeated, staring at her intently as he waited for her reaction.

"I- I was just going to ask if ..." Iris said sheepishly, looking down, away from his bright green orbs. What he found interesting, was that her sentence ceased into nothing when she glanced up at him again.

The conoisseur shifted his weight across his arm that was holding her hand, edging slightly closer to her.

"If... What?" Cilan promted, wanting her to finish the sentence that she had started. Instead, he saw her head hang low, the top of her head brushing his chest. Cilan cleared his throat quietly, slightly flustered himself!

"Can we just leave it alone Cilan?" Iris begged quietly. Despite her better judgement, she buried her blushing face into his chest fully, feeling the harsh bang of his heartbeat on the tip of her nose. She shuffled her body closer to his, because it was uncomfortable for her neck to be bent so far from her body. Her sock-covered feet brushed the hard tips of his shoes and she blushed even harder about just how close they really were. She could feel her own heartbeat thump against her ribcage, threatening to burst straight out of her chest, and she silently thanked the spirits that he couldn't see her beetroot red face!

Cilan, on the other hand, was managing to keep his calm, collected facade for longer than Iris thought was possible. He simply allowed her to hide from him, but if Iris could have seen his eyes, she would have seen the uncertainty. The question. The need. The _want... _His grip tightened on her hand subtly.

"What time is it?" Iris whimpered into his chest, the way she asked the question sounding so... Un-Iris-ish.

Not pulling his body away from hers, he threw his free arm over his head and felt around for his map. When his fingers brushed the cool object, he picked it up single handedly and smiled to himself.

"It's five to three." He answered softly, his voice barely louder than a whisper. Pansage, sensing the particular aura about the two, leaped from Cilan's arms and disappeared up a tree, muttering its name sylabbles under his breath. Axew continued to snore, hiccuping in his sleep now and again.

"You know..." Cilan started, leaning slightly to whisper to her. "We still have five minutes of this beautiful afternoon..."

Iris straightened considerably, feeling a tingle fly down her spine. The way he had said it. It enticed her.

She dared a glance upwards and met his expectant eyes. Damn... He must have known she would look up at him...

She closed her eyes when she felt her nose come into contact with his, her breathing shallow and hitching slightly every once in a while.

"May I?" He whispered, poising the question. Even though he didn't mention what he wanted, Iris knew exactly what he meant and in turn, lifted her head properly to look at him fully and meaningfully.

"You may..." She murmered bravely.

He slowly lowered his head and kissed her, his hand stroking her face gently. Iris could have just melted right there and then, but she kept her posture and kissed him back innocently, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing up against him with her full demeanor. She felt his hand lovingly entwine with her hair, stroking it's way through her unruly tresses. When his hand came out at the bottom of the huge clump of hair, he rested his hand on her waist, pushing himself closer to her. She ventured further and cautiously poked her tounge into his mouth and Cilan welcomed it in gladly. After a couple more seconds, they broke away, both panting slightly. They still, despite the unsteady breath, wore smiles that spoke volumes to each other without the need for words at all.

Then without another word, Cilan licked his lips mischeviously.

"Throughly enjoyable. Like the sweetest delicacy. And yet, so spicy. I think that I'm going to need more of this, that much _is _for sure..."

Iris laughed sweetly and kissed him gently, before standing up and tugging him by the arm, helping him to stand too. His footing was wobbly and unlike him, but at the same time, endearing and laughable.

She shook Axew and awoke him. He opened his eyes and cooed happily, and Iris scooped him up and held him to her chest. Axew then took it upon himself to jump into her hair, and did so without much fuss.

Grabbing Cilan's hand, she started towards the gate, her mood sky rocketing when she felt his fingers fondly wrap around hers, his sighs harmonizing with hers.

She had a new favourtie passtime she decided to herself.

Counting seconds in the flower garden...

**So guys. There you have it. I hope it was enjoyable, and there aren't too many errors. If you review, will you do me a favour and tell me if I should write mroe Wishfulshipping? It would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!**

**And I hope I kept Ciulan and Iris in character. I haven't seen that much of the new series but I think she would be pretty unlike herself when so close to Cilan, so that's why I made her really... Vulnerable? Innocent? You decide, I suppose... But they're both really hard to keep in character; Cilan in particualar!**

**And also, like I say all the time, only point out major errors and if you're going to point them out, at least tell me which ones they are. IT doesn't help much if you just tell me there are lots of errors because then I still don't know what to fix! :D (Yep 'Cause I'm dumb like that!)**

**And I'm aware that there are a couple of trolls on the Wishfullshipping category, so if you're one of them, I will just delete your worthless review, because I personally don't care if you don't like Wishfulshipping. Get off of our Category then! XD**

**So anyways, end of I guess. Hope you enjoyed!**

**~Jess~ **


End file.
